Absolute Truths

Hey everybody! I hope you're all doing just swell :) 

I have this picture at home that Dad gave to me when I was really little... it's a picture of Jesus, and it says "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it." That quote pretty much sums up my week, my mission, my life... everything. It's never easy, but it's always oh so rewarding and worth it in the end :) 

On p-day, we decided we'd spent far too much time at the beach (things I thought I would never say), and we decided to go for a hike. So we found a national park on a map and got ready for an adventure! Turns out the park was very small and actually just mostly consisted of a broken boardwalk over a swamp... We almost fell in the swamp, got eaten alive by bugs, and laughed more than I've ever laughed in my life. It was a very successful almost hike. Well I mean it wasn't a hike at all, but you know.. Then we decided to go find a slave village. Turns out the "slave village" was an old church with a sign that talked about a slave village. So that was a let down haha. We almost drove into the ocean... because apparently they just build the roads right down into the ocean here. 

Sister Bailey: Um, Sister Oman... I think the road leads to the ocean.

Me: That's awesome! Let's go to the beach.

(about three seconds later after we almost fell into the ocean)

Me: Oh... you mean it literally goes into the ocean. 

We then had to back the car up like half a mile because there was no where to turn around on the road we were on. Oh adventures. 

We were teaching a lesson this week to a potential investigator. He started coming to our english class about a month ago, and this last week he finally agreed to come meet with us to talk about the gospel. We had planned to talk about the godhead and stuff.. you know, the usual first lesson sort of material. But he came in and started asking us what makes us different from every other church. So of course we had to talk about the Book of Mormon! Man every time you start talking about the Book of Mormon it's like "look out, here comes the spirit!" haha. But seriously. This guy who wasn't at all interested in our message at the start of the lesson instantly was just fascinated. We gave him a copy of the book and he sat in his car for thirty minutes outside the church after the lesson reading it. And then he called us this morning to see if we were still on for tonight... we didn't even have to call him to confirm our appointment! That was a first haha. It really just showed me how powerful the Book of Mormon is! We always learn that the Book of Mormon is our most powerful tool in conversion... and it really is so true! The Book of Mormon is true! Everyone read it, ponder it, and pray about it :) It will change your life... I promise! 

Tuesday was broke day. Literally. I think I had fifteen cents to my name. But my darling daddy is a wonderful man and called the Bahamas and ordered us pizza! It was a most welcome treat and we all ate very well that afternoon :) Haha. We also got a bunch of new food this week! I ate curry crab for the first time in my life... yummy yummy yummy. I love curry :) And we finally tried daquiris. It's not like I've been living here for six months or anything... should've tried them way earlier. Good grief they're delicious.

There's this member that we're working with, and her story is so inspiring. This girl is eleven years old. Both of her parents passed away a few years ago. She had to move in with her grandmother because she didn't have anywhere else to go. Her parents were members, but nobody else in her family is. So that meant that she stopped coming to church because nobody would take her. A few months ago, she decided she'd had it and needed to come back to church. She called one of the members and asked him to come pick her up every Sunday so she could come. He started taking her, and pretty soon she got all of her aunts and cousins and grandma and everyone to come with them! She's been leading family home evening lessons at their house every Monday night, she teaches the family hymns and scripture stories, and she reminds all of them about family prayer and scripture study every night. Because of this eleven year old's example, one person in her family has already been baptized, and two more have dates in the next few weeks. She just is such an amazing example! It really goes to show that one person can make all the difference. Even if you don't feel like anyone's noticing your efforts, I promise you that somebody is and eventually you'll be able to see results. 

This weekend was general conference!! I love general conference!! I wrote a list of seven questions I wanted answered last week before conference... and every single one of them was answered! Heavenly Father loves us and answers our prayers. For real. All the big real  life questions  that I was stressing over and even the really silly little questions I was stressing over were resolved. General Conference just renews and refreshes. I love getting guidance from a living prophet and apostles... it just goes to show that the gospel is the one thing that will never change! How wonderful is it that in a world full of so much confusion and questions that we have a place to go that we can know the things that are being told are 100% absolute truths. I love what Neil L Anderson said this conference, "You may understandably question what you hear on the news, but you need never question the testimony of God's prophets." 

I love this gospel. I love the happiness and peace it brings into my life. I love seeing the pure joy and contentment the message of the restoration brings into the lives of those I'm so privileged to work with every day. The church is true. I'm realizing that more and more every day. I never want to live without this gospel, and I'm so happy that I don't have to. Jesus Christ is my Savior and my Redeemer, and I am more grateful than words can express for the atoning sacrifice He made for me, and for each of us individually. We never have to wonder what to do next in life, because the gospel has all the answers. And if we're worried or stressed about the decisions we're making, or if the trials we're facing just seem too hard to bear... we can always turn to Christ. He will be there for us no matter what. His love is unconditional. And that's the best blessing I can possibly think of. 

I love you all, have a great week.

xoxoxo,

Sister Oman 

We tried to go hiking this week.  This was the closest thing we could find to a trail!

Nassau is gorgeous.  Even if they don't have the proper hiking trails here!

Isn't Nassau gorgeous?

The swamp we almost fell in.

The roads quite literally lead into the ocean here!

I love Nassau

This is my land.  I love it here!!!

dad is awesome and ordered us pizza... yummy yummy :) 

The sunsets here are gorgeous!! 

We loaded up on treats for general conference. and then ended up giving most of them away to little kids that were hungry. it's okay... charity is good right? haha

Curry Crab.  YUmmmm!

The slave village we found 

We were hiking in the bush so we decided to take pictures!